Exhibition at Knoke Fine Arts, October 29-December 18, 2009 Knoke Fine Arts, in Marietta, is pleased to announce an exclusive exhibition of Athos Menaboni works of art. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Menaboni Art Endowment Fund at Kennesaw State University. The opening reception is October 29, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Russell Clayton, who donated his Athos Menaboni collection to Kennesaw State University, will speak at 7:00 p.m. The show can be viewed at the gallery located at 25 Alexander Street until December 18. To RSVP for the opening reception or for other information, please call 770-514-1766. Although born in Italy in 1895, Athos Menaboni adopted Georgia as his home from the late 1920’s until his death in 1990. He came to the Atlanta area for several commissions to paint murals including one at the Swan House, now part of the Atlanta History Center. However, because of his love of nature, Menaboni decided to create something to enjoy at home. A friend, after seeing the drawing of a cardinal, insisted Athos sell the painting to her. This sale was the beginning of a magnificent journey that made Menaboni world famous – the portraiture of more than 150 species of birds. Menaboni’s most widely publicized work, “Brown Thrasher and Cherokee Rose – Georgia’s State Bird and Flower,” was placed in every school and library in Georgia. His work can be found in World Book, Time, Progressive Farmer, Southern Living, and other publications. In 1950, Time magazine compared Menaboni to John James Audubon, calling him “Audubon’s heir.” Robert Woodruff, of the Coca-Cola Company, commissioned Menaboni to paint the art used on his personal Christmas cards for forty-four years. His works have been in widely acclaimed exhibits in many of the world’s finest museums and galleries including the American Museum of Natural History, the National Audubon Society, and the High Museum of Art. At Kennesaw State University, in Kennesaw, a gallery has been built to house only Menaboni art, and was dedicated in May 2008.